Azzurro leaned close to the frogling. He could never see what a creature was thinking, that was something which most merfolk considered impossible. And he’d read all he could about every kind of water-dweller, especially froglings. Cursed swamp-living people, it was said, because they wouldn’t conform to the ‘right way of life’ of this king or that queen or accept a certain religion. Since frogs were small and many, and generally harmless, they had taken the form of a frog-like human to live in the water. Usually, however, if they even came to the ocean, they stayed among freshwater lagoons and rivers and rarely preferred breathing water.

He glanced at his brother as the little green creature bobbed forward. “It must be lost. They usually travel in groups.” He said. “Perhaps it came here for help...” Curiosity reigned with a stronger fist over caution, and Azzurro moved forward, placing his own hand in that of the frogling’s. The wide-mouthed thing hopped backward, pulling Azzurro along. If he hadn’t obliged the little thing by pushing himself forward with the fin of his coiled tail, the frogling wouldn’t have been strong enough. It pulled Azzurro to one of its previous hiding places, a small crevice that had been clogged with kelp growth and sand, and pointed into the shade. The frogling let him go and crouched at the mouth on the other side of the crevice, looking into the dark. Azzurro did the same, finding a glittering golden object lodged between two large stones. Cautiously, Azzurro reached in, working a bit to bring it up.

The item looked as though it were made of Azzurro’s own scales. The same gold, if a little discolored, with a short barrel and a handle, a small lever that looked to be used by only one finger. Azzurro pried at the small half-circle protrusion, unlocking the reservoir hidden within and revealing eight small holes, as though each one once held some small missile, something that he’d seen on massive man-made war-ships.

“Strange.” Azzurro moved back to his brother. “This... I think I’ve seen one of these before.” He snapped the reservoir back into the empty barrel and held the item in flat hands. “I just don’t remember what it’s called.” He glanced back to the frogling. They were naturally curious because they were quick in wit and speed. But they didn’t usually keep what they found. Sometimes they gave it away, and other times they just left it behind.

Azzurro handed the item over to Lokio. “I don’t know what it is, but I should really see what this poor thing is doing alone out here. If you’d prefer, you can take this back to the palace.” He moved back to where the young frogling stood crouched, staring up at Azzurro’s shining golden scales. “Maybe you know what it is.”